Pitmatic Productions

01/06/2026

Chilton’s Civic Leadership Confirmed for Another Year

Chilton Town Council has re-elected Councillor Sue Reece as Mayor and Councillor Pearl Malpas as Deputy Mayor at its annual meeting on 12 May – marking a second consecutive term for both.

The politically independent council reaffirmed its commitment to local projects, community grants, and giving residents a stronger voice in the region. Last year, the Mayor’s fund raised £3,500 for blood cancer and children’s projects, as well as over £500 in gift donations for the Christmas Toy Appeal.

Read the full article on swd.news! 📰

01/06/2026

A new mayor and a political departure

Shildon has a new town mayor. Cllr Samantha Townsend, a lifelong resident and nine-year councillor, was elected at the Annual Town Meeting on 18 May. Her path into politics was shaped by personal experience — including navigating a school system that wasn’t meeting her disabled son’s needs.

Meanwhile, Reform UK councillor Kate Rowland, who represents Shildon and Dene Valley ward, has resigned from the party and will sit as an Independent. She is the second Reform councillor from that ward to do so since the May 2025 elections, in which Reform gained overall control of Durham County Council.

Read the full article on swd.news! 📰

31/05/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Defunded. Not defeated.

On Saturday Durham Pride 2026 took over the city. After a big parade in the morning big crowds gathered at the Sands to celebrate Pride.

Ahead of the event Durham County Council’s Reform administration cut its Pride funding. Organisers talked about losing around £2,500.

The community didn’t back down. Trade unions stepped up instead. The organisers are talking about £25,000 raised by the unions and other supporters.

So Durham Pride 2026 went ahead. Bigger than ever.

Read the latest news on swd.news 📰

29/05/2026

⛏️ Once a pitman, always a pitman.

Three rooms in Spennymoor Town Hall. Hundreds of artefacts. And stories that go straight to the heart.

Durham Mining Museum isn’t just a place to look at history — it’s a place to touch it, hear it, and feel it. Volunteers like Michael and Toni, both former miners, take you down the pit themselves. “I started when I was 16,” Michael remembers. “It was a real culture shock.”

From school children crawling through a replica mine in the basement to visitors flying in from Australia and the US to trace their roots — this little museum punches well above its weight.

📍 Spennymoor Town Hall | Free entry, donations welcome
🕙 Tue–Sat, 10am–2pm | More at dmm.org.uk

Read the full story on swd.news👇
and watch the full video on YouTube 🎥

28/05/2026

Behind-the-scenes look at the topping out ceremony for The Lost Feather arena at 🦅

From 18 July, 250 birds will fly free inside the purpose-built arena in Bishop Auckland. No screens, no enclosures — just birds overhead and 2,500 seats around them.

👉 Full story at swd.news — link in bio.

Have you got tickets yet? Drop a 🪶 below if you can’t wait!

24/05/2026

Behind the scenes at Bishop FM 🎙️✨

We got an exclusive look inside the community radio station, explored the studio setup and learned how shows are produced behind the scenes.

Would you ever want to host your own radio show? Let us know in the comments👇

27/04/2026

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2026

April 17th/18th: With 150 stalls, live-music and star-chefs - the Bishop Auckland Food Festival drew visitors from across the region. Beyond the crowds and flavours, it offered a snapshot of a lively community in County Durham.

We spoke to organisers, traders and visitors to capture the atmosphere on the ground.

Watch the full video on our YouTube channel: swdnpp
and read our article on: swd.news

supportlocal

23/04/2026

2026 Bishop Food Festival v2 0

22/09/2025

Excitement is building as we rapidly approach the S&DR bicentenary, so it's a great start to the week that Tails from the Rails, our Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway podcast documenting the railway that got the world on track, has recorded its 5,000th download. 🚂

Tales from the Rails

26/06/2025

These Terms and conditions apply to this website and to the transactions related to our products and services. You may be bound by additional contracts related to your relationship with us or any products or services that you receive from us. If any provisions of the additional contracts conflict ...